You Want Me to Do What?!

Adam and I were sitting in Sunday School listening and paying attention as best we could with Caroline distracting me and me distracting Adam. I made an "excellent comment" (as the teacher stated) regarding the lesson. I felt so smart and so witty. The class ended and Adam and I began a little discussion amongst ourselves.

The next thing I know the 1st Counselor in the R.S. Presidency is walking toward me. She is a sweet old lady and I really didn't see her come our direction. She complemented Caroline on how cute she is and how adorable her smile is, etc. In hind sight, that was all to butter me up in order to ask me the question "will you teach the lesson in R.S. 2 weeks from today?" Excuse me?! You want me to do what?! There's NO WAY I can teach R.S. I am barely (and I mean barely) knowledgeable enough to get by on a primary level, let alone teach a bunch of women a lesson. What do I say? Where's my wittiness and my smartness now? It left me clear in the dust.

I replied by saying "Sure." This sweet sister turned to Adam and said something to the effect of "She answered so confidently and without fear. I bet she's going to do great!" I replied and said Check with me the Saturday before to see just how much fear I've got."

Fortunately, it is the start of a new year and one of my goals will come in handy as I study and prepare for teaching this lesson. Maybe that's why I got asked....the Lord knows what I want to accomplish and for this he is making me stretch out of my comfort zone. Last time I set any goals! The lesson is on The First Vision and is out of the new 2008-2009 manual Joseph Smith.

Some of you may think, "what's the big deal? It's the First Vision. It's a common story we've all heard, you should KNOW the material." To which I reply, in my experience it's always the common stories and information that we (okay, I) take forgranted until we (I) start studying the material that we find (I find) just how inadequately we (I) really know this information. The feelings of overwhelmed, inadequateness, being incapable, etc. have already crept into my sense of self and now I get to stew on it for another 2 weeks.

I guess I should be grateful for one thing....at least I don't have to speak in Sacrament Meeting. That's another whole can of worms I care not to go into.

I know you will all being very interested and waiting with baited breath to know how my lesson goes. I will let you all know with a post after this lesson has been taught just how well or not so well it goes. Maybe if I totally suck at teaching the lesson they'll NEVER ask me to teach again. Now there's a thought. I'll take it under consideration/advisement.

*******Note: I'm happy to take any suggestions any or all of you might have for the lesson.

Christmas Pictures

On the post Merry Christmas!, there weren't any pictures of the grand morning. It was only because I had not had the chance to take them off the camera and go through them. Now that I have had a chance, I'll post the pictures for your viewing pleasure. It was so much fun to see Owen rip through his presents. I can only imagine what next year will bring with 2 of them ripping through the presents. I can hardly wait!

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"Diapie" Fest

Now that Owen can get out of his bed by himself, he likes to explore his room (I didn't think there was anything to "explore"-WRONG again!) after we close the door when we put him down for his nap. Owen LOVES to sleep with a cloth burp diaper when he's falling asleep. We call them "diapies". Adam checked on Owen the other day while he was sleeping and found the entire bin on diapies on his bed. He has like 40 or so diapies. (He had GERD as a baby which called for dozens of cloth burp rags or diapies to be in the house). When he got up from his nap, I had to take a picture of the "Diapie Fest" taking place on his bed while he was sleeping. Too bad I couldn't have snapped a picture with Owen in the middle of the diapies.

Merry Christmas!

This morning we woke up to a beautiful morning. The kids slept until about 7:30 or so, along with the rest of the house. As Adam and I were getting the cameras set up and getting ready to go get the kids, we looked down and there was Owen, who had unzipped his jammies and wandered an out into the kitchen. Owen has put everything together and now climbs down off his bed and opens the door. Merry Christmas to me and Adam, right?!

We opened presents, Owen saw his trike that Santa brought him. He ran over to the trike and sat down. He would get off, open a present and then hop right back on the trike. It was cute. The trike we got him is pictured at the left, minus the canopy. I'm now seriously considering getting him the canopy. We'll see.

Once the presents were opened and phone calls were made, it was time to put the kids down for their naps. Keeping in mind what Owen has already done this morning, he did it MULTIPLE times when trying to put him down for a nap. Needless to say, the door knob has now been turned with the lock on the hall side of the door. We said good night and locked the door behind us. (It took Adam and me each 3 times to put him down). The next thing we heard was Owen knocking on the door for him to be let out. So sorry, Onie B, ain't happenin'. Hopefully, he'll figure out that nap time is nap time and there's no getting out. I'm dreamin' I realize, but isn't this the time of year for that kind of thing anyway?

Adam and I spoiled one another with a new camera this year. We actually got it on Black Friday when Ritz was having their smokin' deals. We got the Nikon D40X model and love it. It takes beautiful pictures that are sharp and clear. Now, we (okay me) just need to figure out all of the features on the camera.

Anywho. We want to wish you each a very merry Christmas and hope you are with those you love, enjoying the reason why we celebrate this holiday. May you all continue to feel the love of the Savior in your life.

A Holding Pen

Owen has been in desperate need of a new dresser. He was still using the dresser in the nursery (Cari's room) for his clothes. Cari's clothes were in plastic storage bins on top of the dresser. This was all fine and dandy for the first few months, like 3. The clothes that she had grown out of were on top of those bins. It had long since begun to drive me crazy and the room just looked messy, cluttered and not the way I want it. It just started to be too cumbersome and aggravating to me.

Adam and I purchased Owen a new dresser for Christmas. We purchased the dresser from IKEA. I thought it was going to be cheap compressed particle board with just a veneer of pine and stain. I was wrong. It is solid pine. I was impressed. I still think it's a little spendy for having to put it together yourself and that it's pine wood, but all considered it should last Owen for many, many years to come.

So, of course Adam put it together and had his little helper right there with him the whole time. Owen darst not be seperate from a project involving screwdrivers, hammers, screws, nails, glue, etc. He, as usual, was right in the think of it all. I'm happy with the way it turned out, and mostly happy that I can now get Cari's clothes into a dresser of her own.

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12 Days of Christmas

What a performance on this video. Click on this link, turn up your sound and enjoy a very entertaining rendition of the "12 Days of Christmas". You won't want to hear it any other way after this.

ENJOY!!!!

"All I Want for Christmas is My 4 Front Teeth"

I've been singing that song to Caroline for the last few weeks. She seem to hear exactly what I was saying as her top two teeth popped through.

Sunday morning rolls around and she still doesn't seem to be feeling well. It's now about 2 1/2 weeks with a cold. I told Adam I'd call the pediatrician's office in the morning and make an appointment for her. Not very excited about having to take her in, I finished getting her dressed and ready for church.

As she was drinking her bottle at church, she leaned back and was smiling at Owen who was making her giggle. When she leaned back and smiled, I thought I noticed a third tooth had popped through. Upon closer inspection of her mouth, sure enough the third top tooth came through and her gums were bulging, red, and swollen for the tooth on the other side. I couldn't believe it!

Owen popped teeth through all the time, but he NEVER cut 4 teeth at the same time. This is definitely a Grimsley gene with early teethers. Caroline and Owen may look like me, but they cut their teeth like their Dad.

Oh Christmas Tree....

Adam and I went out last Friday and picked up our tree. We went to Mast-Roth Farms, which is from Oregon, set up in the Potato Barn parking lot. We walked around and around. We decided to check a couple of more tree lots, but ended up right back where we started. We got a great tree. Owen loved tromping around in the mud and thought that was great fun. The tree was loaded onto the car. We thought it would be okay driving the 2 miles home. But, as we pulled out of the lot, the tree slid halfway down the car. That should've been a clue to me as to how the rest of the tree experience was going to go. Needless to say, I didn't pick up on the clue.

Adam got the tree into the stand and into the house just right. I went to fill up the tree with water and then it all went downhill from there.

As I was filling the tree, it started to topple over, and eventually fell completely over. I was screaming, "whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa!" Adam did not understand what was wrong and thought I should've said "help the tree is falling." Apparently, "Whoa!" didn't communicate that there was a problem and he should come see what the problem is. Adam got the tree back into the stand and stood back up while I mopped up the water from the stand. Once he got the tree settled and watered, Adam put some strands of lights on.

Now, I say "some strands" because I had to put more on. I LOVE lights on my Christmas tree. I would like to have the Griswold house of lights on my Christmas tree. I don't think I would like the electric bill, but it sure would be pretty. After I put more lights on the tree, I wrapped it with the ribbon. That's where the progress stopped. Until last night.

I had grand visions of a wonderful FHE and everyone helping decorate the tree with Owen putting the star on the top (with Adam's help of course). Instead what I got was an almost 2 year old throwing a tantrum because he couldn't play in the front room (we have baby gates blocking off the room all together). He wanted to play - which equals getting into things he shouldn't - instead of helping to decorate the tree. I thought he would like to hang the ornaments on the tree.

I got 3 broken ornaments (he threw a small glass one into the bin and in the process broke 2 others), a temper tantrum, and no help decorating the tree. I decorated the tree by myself after putting Caroline to bed. I like the tree, it turned out okay, but definitely is not decorated my favorite. I can't quite figure out what it is I don't like about it.

Maybe next year I'll have at least 1 kid who looks forward to decorating the tree as much as I do. Otherwise, I'll seriously consider hiring someone next year to come in and decorate it for me; in addition, I'll get the kids their own tree and they can decorate it how ever they want and I'll have my own tree and NO ONE will touch it.

(I'll post pictures later)

Updated: 12/28/07 (a little behind I know, I know):

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Weeweechu

I got this e-mail from a girlfriend of mine. It is so funny. I died laughing. I couldn't resist, I had to post it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and do)........

Pedro & His Girl

One beautiful December evening Pedro and his girlfriend Rosita were sitting by the side of the ocean.

It was a romantic full moon, when Pedro said,"Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."
Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.
"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.

Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."
Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang....."Weeweechu a Merry Christmas. Weeweechu a Merry Christmas,Weeweechu a Merry Christmas. and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Orange Bowl

I tell Adam he's free to add to the blog whenever he wants (granted I'll go back to proof, edit, and approve of his additions, but he can still do it). So when Adam told me he "made some updates" to the blog, you can imagine my thoughts of shock, horror and terror as to what he could have possibly done. I hurried and logged on to the blog and saw the little orange box in the sidebar.

I live in a house with an avid Hokie football fan. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to watch sports, and am growing more and more fond of college football than I would have ever thought possible. It obviously goes without saying that the Hokies (the Atlantic Coast Conference "ACC" Champions) are going to the Orange Bowl and will be playing the University of Kansas on January 3, 2008.

I'll let Adam have his "moment" on the blog. Let's just hope that the Hokies don't blow it and will actually win their "moment" on January 3, 2008, rather than have history continue to repeat itself. GO HOKIES!!!

**Note: I did not have to consult Adam to know what "ACC" stood for, nor did I have to ask him which bowl the Hokies are going to as I already knew this information. I HATE the BCS and think there should be a playoff system in place for college football, rather than the ridiculous BCS system. The question now is how many of you know what a "Hokie" is? Rebecca, you can't say anything, comment or "answer" that question! :-)

Outtakes

Here are some of the outtakes of the family pictures taken last weekend. It was so much fun to do this. Now, the hard part is choosing just the right one to put up in our house.....

I love this one of Caroline. She looks so comtemplative while sucking on her lower lip.

Family Picture Day

I've always wanted to have our family pictures taken. But, because I have been pregnant the last two Christmases (no I am not pregnant this Christmas!) I haven't wanted to take pictures. This year we finally were able to have them done. We had our family pictures last Sunday. The appointment was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but because of the rain, it got bumped to Sunday. The weather was absolutely gorgeous last Sunday. The photographer was Annie Randall. She did a really great job. When I get the CD from her, I will post a few more.

While waiting for the photographer, Adam snapped a few pictures that turned out really cute, at least the pictures of just the kids.

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Another Milestone for Caroline

Caroline has been pretty restless this week. I would put her down for her nap and 45 minutes later she would be awake again. She had a cold (almost over it) and wasn't feeling all that great. I deduced the restlessness to her cold, cutting knew teeth, or reaching a new milestone.

Well, I was right about all three. Her top left tooth broke through this weekend (the top right broke through early last week - that's 4 teeth now), and she has now finally gotten the hang of sitting herself up.

She was having a little bit of trouble getting her badonkadonk over her foot and she would finally just give up and flop back to her belly. Tonight, she mastered that! She's done it several times now and I think she will finally do it on a regular basis.

Now, she just needs to learn to fall to her knees and not do a face plant to get to her belly/crawling position so she can be off and crawling. She's growing so big and so fast, it's hard to believe she 8 months old!

Now That's a Sunday!

We get an early start on Sunday morning 'cause our ward meets at 8:00 a.m. But, we have to be there by 7:30 in order to get a decent seat in the chapel. (By decent I mean a padded bench and not the hard, metal folding chairs.) We start our morning at 5:45, or 6:00 at the latest, in order to get ready and then get the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door.

Typically by the time Sunday School rolls around, I am wiped out and could use a nap. I so looked forward to Sunday afternoons, in the hopes that the kids will both be asleep at the same time. I received that choice blessing this afternoon.

We got home fed the kids their lunch, and ate lunch ourselves. Next stop, putting the kids down. This doesn't always go smoothly, but today it did. Owen went down, no problemo. Caroline took a little bit longer because she was so tired (about 45 minutes after Owen). With both kids asleep and the house cricket quiet, I crawled up on our bed. No more than 3 minutes later I was out.

Three hours later Caroline woke up. I woke up to her cooing in her crib. I got up to get her, Adam woke up and finally Owen (after about a 3 1/2 hour nap). It was a marvelous Sunday.

Kids are happy, Dad is happy, but most importantly MOM IS HAPPY, now that I've had a nap! Now, let's hope that I will be able to fall asleep somewhat quickly after that glorious 3 hour nap.

Creating a Monster

I was so envious of everyone's cute and darling blogs (i.e., the backgrounds, embellishments, etc.) that I asked my friend Lorena to help, make that teach, me how she created her blog. I went to her house today for my lesson. Like an idiot, I forgot my laptop so I didn't get the "hands on" approach that I like when I am learning how to do something new. In my defense, I did remember to bring both kids, their diapers, lunch for Caroline and Owen's juice cup. Isn't that enough? Anywho, I thought for sure that I was going to be calling her and having her walk me through it again step-by-step because I couldn't remember it all.

Much to my surprise, I remembered everything - because she's a great teacher!- and now I have my own cute backgrounds, embellishments, etc. The only problem is I think she's created a monster with all of this. I can picture myself now changing the blog at my every whim just because. I honestly couldn't believe how easy it was.

Thanks, again, Lorena for your help. I appreciate it!

Just a Twist of the Knob

Owen has figured out how to open doors. I'm so screwed! Our master bedroom has french doors (which I hate) instead of a window (which I am coveting, especially this time of year). When I want to open the french doors, I have to shut our bedroom door to make sure Baxter, Lincoln and Owen don't escape outside.

After I was done changing Caroline Saturday morning, I realized my bedroom door was open and Owen was standing by the french doors eyeballing the outside. I thought maybe I hadn't completely latched the door and that was why it was open. Then, to my disliking, and Adam's chagrin, he opened the bathroom door (yes, while Adam was in there) and came right on in like he owned the joint. Again, thought maybe he got lucky and opened the door because it was closed tightly, I don't know.

It wasn't until Adam told Owen to go let Baxter out of the bathroom (Bax goes in the bathroom while Owen is eating, otherwise Bax eats more of the meal than Owen. Yes, Jauss that's the way it is, don't knock it!). Now, I know that I tightly latched the door when I put Bax in the bathroom. So, when I hear Bax come out of the bathroom and Owen is following behind him, I knew for sure that he could open the doors all on his own.

I guess it's a good thing that we have a baby gate that blocks the front door or he might go right on outside without me even knowing it. I'm also pretty sure that Owen hasn't figured out that if he can open the bathroom/bedroom door that the same concept works for the pantry door. This is a matter of time I'm sure and I shudder to think of the messes that will be made once this happens.

Ready! Set! Not Quite Yet!

Caroline is oh so close to crawling, forward that is. She'll get up on her hands and knees, rock back and forth, and even take a few "steps" backwards. She hasn't quite got it together that she can go forward if she just puts her hand, then her knees in that direction. Since she hasn't gotten it together, she'll flop back down to her belly and "inch worm" her way forward.

Adam says she'll be crawling before or right around Christmas. I say it's going to be a little bit later, like around Owen's birthday. Adam is probably going to be right, but we'll see. I'll have my hands full for sure regardless of whenever she decides to get it together.

The last picture her face is a little blury, but I thought it was still a cute picture, which is why it landed on here.

Finger Lickin' Good

Adam and I have been trying to teach Owen that when he gets something on his fingers, instead of freaking out 'cause there could be a grain of rice (he's literally freaked out over this before), he can just lick it off his finger - table manners will come later, TRUST ME!

Anywho. This could be one time where I would've been happy he freaked out instead of licking his fingers.








What is that on his mouth and hands? It's paint primer! While I was content to work by myself on Owen's coat rack for his bedroom, Owen decided to take a break from helping Daddy and come into the garage and "help" me. I was very dilligent to watch where his little feeties were going so he didn't knock over the never-before-opened (or used) quart of blue paint onto the garage floor. (I did knock over a quart of green paint onto the garage floor. In my defense, I was almost 9 months pregnant with Caroline! Aren't we all just a little bit more clumsy when we're pregos, especially that far along?!)

But, before I could grab his hands - or even noticed that he had done this - he had picked up the sponge brush that was full of primer with his hand and stuck it in his mouth to lick off whatever had gotten on his hand. Fortunately, it was latex paint primer and there wasn't a whole lot on his hand or that got into his mouth.

I think we'll start working on those table manners sooner rather than later.

Comfy Resting Spot

I walked into our bedroom to find Lincoln warming himself under the small lamp that sits on my bookshelf. Sometimes he'll crawl into the bookshelf, but today he semed to be content on just sitting on top under the lamp. As you can see, he was all too happy to have me take his picture.

By Popular Demand.....

Since I neglected to post pictures of the "finished" product after Adam got done hanging the Christmas lights, bow, bells, wreath, and me finishing the inside deocrations, and because many of you have been asking for them, here are some of the finished product pictures.



Once we get our tree (as it's a tradition to buy a fresh tree each year), I'll have some posts of that as well, as I'm sure you all can hardly wait for that.

Itchy and Scratchy

Sunday afternoon it started out as a little rash on the inside of my right knee. I thought for some strange reason it might be razor burn. But then, my other leg and crook of my right elbow started to itch. Can't be razor burn. Maybe it was the lotion I used. Maybe I'm allergic to it. So, I quit using it and the itching didn't go away. I knew it couldn't be the laundry detergent because 1) I use free and clear for everything; 2) I wasn't itching on my trunk. Now, since I use that detergent for everything, my trunk should be itching too, but it's not. It could be the bar soap that I was using too. I don't know. Either way, I have quit using that and the lotion. I don't want to take any chances.

I wake up in the middle of the night with horrible itching. I've taken Benadryl and while that's great for more than one reason, it hasn't necessarily treated the symptoms, like the severe itching. I described this reaction to my Dad and low and behold he came up with Allergic Contact Dermatitis. The worst part about this is you don't know what caused it and you can be using a product for any length of time (the first time or years worth of use) and then this type of reaction will occur. Depending on the severity of the reaction, it can take a few days or WEEKS to have the reaction go away.

Long story short, there's really nothing I can do about this other than what I've already done; quit using the products, take Benadryl and wait for this to run its course. It's a good thing I have freckles (I never thought I would say I am grateful for my freckles!) because it makes it harder to see the rash and that the cooler weather is here so I can wear my long sleeves. It looks likes hives and the last thing I want to do is constantly have to explain what is wrong. This post should suffice, right?!

Pampers v. Kirkland - Part II

I walked into Owen's room this morning and low and behold he peed through his jammies. Owen sleeps in between the comforter and flat sheet. Underneath the flat sheet I put the pee pads on top of the fitted sheet. That way if his diaper did leak, I would only have to wash the flat sheet and the pee pads, so the theory goes.

This was probably one of his biggest pee throughs ever. It not only went through the flat sheet, he missed the pee pads on one side because of the way he slept, the fitted sheet and the mattress pad, his pillow case and pillow! It was such a mess. Owen earned the crown of "Peaball Prince" this morning. Maybe it had everything to do with the 2 cups of juice (watered down juice) and a cup of milk in about the 2 hour window before he to bed. Note to self: do not give him this much liquid before he goes to bed any more!

Oddly enough, this came on the heels I had with my sister-in-law, who suggested that I try the Huggies overnite diapers. She was having the same problem with her son and she got that tip from a friend of hers. My mom suggested using the "diaper doublers" liners that are used in cloth diapers right inside the disposable diapers at night. I think I migh give either one of these a whirl and see what happens. I've also heard of using maxipads in the diaper at night to help with this problem. I don't know if this works or not. If you've done this, let me know how well it worked.

Anywho, the day started once again with the stripping of bed linens to be thrown into the washer so they can be clean to be put back on the bed in time for Owen's nap. I am happy to report this was accomplished and my Onie B and Cari are down for a nap at the same time. So, why am I blogging instead of napping myself? Good quesion!

Decision: I'd still choose Kirkland because I didn't have any of those gel pellets, like I would've had with the Pampers, to clean up this morning in addition to everything else there was to clean up.

Comfort Zone

When the weather turns gray, overcast and much cooler, like in the 60's for highs, (yes, it does get that way here!) I immediately start to think of comfort food. For some people a comfort food might be fried chicken, meatloaf, or stew. Me? My comfort food is beans and rice. Yep, just plain pinto beans and white rice. Mmmmmmmmm. Good!

You see, that's what I was raised on, beans and rice. I would come home from school and smell the pot of beans cooking on the stove with a fresh loaf of bread made or baking in the oven. I love it! It instantly takes me back to being a kid again.

When my parents got married, my mom learned how to make beans just like her mother-in-law. Having grown up in the Colonies of Mexico, my Dad was raised on them. My Grandma was raised on them from her mother and so on and so on. It's cheap to make and it feeds a lot of people. They freeze well to boot! This very simple dinner was perfect while my Dad was in medical school with small kids in the house and kids on the way. It just brings me back to simpler times and "the good 'ole days." In fact, my Mom still cooks her beans in "the original" bean pot that my Dad got specifically for making beans 40+ years ago. (My Dad swears it's all in the pot you make them in.)

So, although I got a late start on the beans, I am having my ultimate comfort food for dinner tonight. I am so excited! There's not much "cooking" involved and I really don't have to think a whole lot as far as preparation goes. Once the beans are on simmer, with the occasional stir from the bottom up, they are good to go.

Now that this "tradition" has been passed down for so many generations, there are a few little tricks learned along the way that I don't have to worry about. For instance, when the beans are done, add a little bit of salt, olive oil and either a can of diced green chili or a heaping spoon full of salsa for a little bit more flavor, NEVER add cold water to warm beans because the cold water will turn the beans dark, wait for the beans to cool off to just about room temperature before putting them in the fridge or freezer. Otherwise, the beans will sour more quickly. (Trust me, if you've ever smelled sour beans, this is the first trick you learn,) Owen loves them -they have great fiber benefits for kids if you catch my drift- and Cari likes them as well. Start the kiddos out very young eating them and chances are they will get use to them without any problems.

More over, I cannot only freeze some for a dinner later on down the road, but the portion I don't freeze, I can make refried beans later in the week and have tostadas or bean & cheese burritos for dinner. Two dinners in one night. Can you really beat that?

Deck the Halls

While I was out shopping on Black Friday, I came home and Adam had already started putting up the lights on the house. He had to stop momentarily to get the kids up and fed. When I got home, Owen was up and drinking his milk. Cari was getting her bottle. I made Owen a waffle, got their warm clothes on and outside to help Daddy he goes. Of course there were the cries of wanting to climb on the ladder and then being told "no." Cari was crying because everyone left her alone in the house. I got her cereal ready and then took her and the Bumbo outside to feed her. Now, everyone was all together outside to "help"get the lights up on the house.

As usual, Adam was quite specific on how he wanted to put the lights on the house. But, because he was so specific, the lights look great! I get frustrated with him sometimes because I just want to get things done. But, just when I am getting frustrated because it's not going quick enough, is when it does get done and looks fabulous because Adam was precise in how he did it. Armed with his drill (he even predrilled the holes to put the hooks into for the lights) and zip ties to keep the cords nice and neat, making sure the extension cord was fed through the right holes so as to be as inconspicuous as possible, he finished the job.

A few more projects to do on the inside of the house (my job) and the house will be as decorated as it can be without the tree (we'll get a real one later). It looks good, if I do say so myself. I love this time of year. I can't get enough of it!

Black Friday

Wow! What an experience! I decided I would go to Kohl's and hit Target in the weeeeee morning hours. Kohl's, as you all know, opened at 4 am. I was seriously under the impression that if I got to Kohl's by 4:30 I would out of the store by 6 am, on time to hit Target right when they opened (my inexperience on Black Friday is coming through). Was I wrong!!!!

I got to Kohl's at 4:20 am and by the time I got there, the parking lot was full and there were already people LEAVING the store with cart after cart after cart full of stuff. I couldn't believe it. I went back to the children's section, as that was my focus for going in the first place. On my way back to the children's section the line to pay was already starting to snake around the store. I grabbed a few things, looked around, grabbed a few more things, and then made my way for the line. I saw the line on the women's side of the store and thought I would be smart and go to the men's side. That line was e-freakin'-normous! I was screwed either way. So, I planted myself in line on the men's side to wait.

When I mentioned to Adam that I was going to go out on Black Friday, he said something like "Okay, but you're going to have to wait in line for like 30 minutes and you're going to hate it." To which I replied, "I know I'll have to wait in line and I can do that, provided I have no kids." Side note: Adam doubted that I would even get out of bed for Black Friday. HA!

So, I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited some more. To be exact, I waited in line to pay at Kohl's for 2 HOURS!!!!!! I was astounded. I got in line at approximate 4:55 am and walked out of the store at 7 am! I was seriously behind schedule at this point.

Next stop, Target. I had severe reservations about going to Target if Kohl's was as bad as it was. But, I pushed on. Target, as it turned out, was one of the best experiences on that day! I grabbed the main gift for Owen, a few more toys and goodies for Cari and Owen, paid (walked right up to the register as the cashier's were standing in front of their lane WAITING for people to ring up), got my rain check and out to the car in 45 minutes. As miserable as Kohl's was, that was how wonderful Target was. Back on schedule!

I tried to hit one more place, Circuit City, before going home. When I pulled up and parked at Circuit City, there was a line to GET IN the store. The reason being was the fire code only allowed 600 people in the store at any one time. So, as 2 or 3 came out, 2 or 3 went in. I was fortunate in that there were a couple of employees outside waiting to load a TV into the car of a customer. I asked if indeed that was the line to get in and they confirmed that it was. I then proceeded to ask if they had any of the items left I was looking or if they were gone. The employee went into the store to check, came back out and told me that they didn't. On my way home.

I was home by 8:30 with what I considered to be a very successful shopping trip on Black Friday. I have to pick up just a couple more things and my Christmas shopping is done! Was it crazy, probably even a little insane? Yes. Was it worth it in order to be done Christmas shopping BEFORE December 1st? Yesssireeeee!

I will be going out on Black Friday next year. I'll do things differently, but I will definitely go out again.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. In doing so, it has caused me to reflect on several things that I am grateful for in my life. A small portion of my mental list, in no particular order, is the following:

Adam, our children, the Gospel, freedom, liberty, my health, my family, knowing that I can stay home and raise my children, my home, laughter, Adam's job, the men and women who died while serving, those who have served, currently serve, or will serve our country to defend the liberties we hold so dear, my right to have my voice heard through voting, a soft pillow and bed to lay my weary head and body down on each night, A/C in my car and my house (especially during the summer time).

Obviously, I could go on and on with all that I am blessed with in my life. I am grateful for this time of year that causes at least a moments reflection for what I have given. Now, the trick will be remembering all of this while be shoved, shoving others and standing in line on Black Friday. 'Tis the Season after all.........................

Pampers v. Kirkland

Like any mom, I am particular when it comes to the kind of diapers I put on my kids. I don't like Huggies, they seemed to leak the worst (which is ironic as I will explain later), LOVE Pampers Swaddlers, not crazy about Pampers Baby Dry or Cruisers, haven't tried Luvs, or the various Wal-Mart or Target brands. I REFUSE to do cloth diapers.

I know that all diapers have there maximum liquid retention level and if not changed will leak. I get that. However, I just don't like the absorbing gel that Pampers uses. My kids are definite stomach sleepers (thank heavens - as I am of the opinion that babies sleep best on their tummies. That's my opinion and I don't care what the AAP says.) When I would go in to get them in the morning after sleeping all night long, it was obvious they peed through their jammies, onto the sheets, etc. As usual, the gel pellets would be all over their tummies, legs and every other nook and cranny. More laundry for me to do, not to mention a bath for the kid as the gel pellets don't just wipe off.

In fact, Caroline would pee through her jammies and onto the sheets almost every single morning. It got to the point where I was calling her my "peeball princess" in the morning because she would be soaked with pee! I never had to do the full bath routine in the morning with her, but several times I had to with Owen. The gel pellets were EVERYWHERE, even into the feet of his jammies!

When Owen was younger, I just couldn't find a diaper that I really liked. My younger sister, Mindy, has a son 9 days older than Owen and she was going to try the Kirkland (Costco) brand and let me know what she thought of that diaper. We both had heard some good and bad things about them. In the end, she did try them and she couldn't tell a difference. So, I decided to try them for myself. Boy am I glad I did! I will definitely not go back to using the Pampers Baby Dry or Cruisers. Does this mean that the leaks have magically stopped all together? No. But, they are much farther and fewer in between.

It is ironic that I prefer the Kirkland brand over Pampers and especially Huggies because I do believe the Kirkland brand is made by Huggies. (I could be wrong, so please let me know if I am.) I was excited to see a little while back that Costco has now started carrying the sizes 1-2 through 5 and not just sizes 3 through 5. They are fairly reasonably priced for the allotment that you get. I think it's about 17 cents per diaper. For me, that's a deal worth paying for, especially when it holds up (pun intended) to my kids.

Decision: Kirkland

Running on Empty

Okay, so I may not be completely on empty, but it's dang close. You see, I found out 3 weeks ago that my cousin is getting married tomorrow. We are all so excited for her (it's her 2nd marriage). This time she's doing it right...sort of. She won't be able to be sealed to her husband yet but, is planning on going through the Temple on her own in the next few weeks and then on their 1 yr anniversary (or thereabouts) will get sealed to her husband. This time around she is marrying her high school sweetheart.

My mom, brother, sister-in-law and their baby are coming over. (My dad can't make it due to unforseen circumstances....THAT SUCKS!) So, since most of us will be together we decided to due an early Thanksgiving dinner. I volunteered for the desserts.

A lot of information to get to the heart of the matter. Today I went with my sister, Jenny, to do a couple of errands for her, get lunch and stop by my grandma's house. I got home a little bit later than planned (3:30). I tried to put the kids down to finish their nap - they both fell asleep in the car- but neither of them would hear of it. So, I ate dinner and then started on my baking. I made a pumpkin cheesecake and an apple pie (the first one I've ever made. I'll let you all know how it turned out - it's still in the oven as of this posting).

Tomorrow, I have the produce co-op, kids' flu shots, baking a pecan pie, Thanksgiving dinner, and the wedding. Somehow I need to fit in a shower, driving to the wedding (which starts at 5:00 p.m.), Owen's nap, Caroline's naps, a workout at the gym for me, and other household chores that have been neglected, i.e., putting the laundry away, folding the laundry and transferring the laundry to the dryer, you see a theme here? I'm sure it will all turn out fine and the day will be great, but I'm exhausted already and the day hasn't even gotten here yet. I CANNOT WAIT for MY SUNDAY NAP. Come hell or high water I'm taking a nap Sunday.

There is a positive side to all of this though, next week while everyone is running around doing their Thanksgiving stuff, I'll be nice and relaxed while planning on a possible strategy for Black Friday. I think I might venture out this year. We'll see.......

A New Discovery

I made a new discovery the other day while I was shopping at Wal-Mart for my pies to bake for Thanksgiving. I was there getting the pumpkin, sugar, flour, etc. and there I saw a roll of parchment paper. I thought "hmmmm....I wonder how well this stuff really works." Let me tell you, it works! I used it to bake the raspberry thumb print cookies. The paper made it so there was very little clean up. I cannot believe that in the tens of dozens of cookies that I've made, no one (and that includes my mother) ever told me about parchment paper. I haven't done a lot of baking in the last few years, not because I haven't wanted to, or because I have two little ones. It is merely because I didn't want to have to deal with cleaning up the cookie sheets. Well, all of that is about to change.

I made about 5 dozen cookies for my dad today (I promised him I would make him some of my cookies when I was at "home" over Labor Day, but it never happened). From start to finish (including clean up) was 1 1/2 hours. That was with Owen "helping" me, answering the phone, putting Caroline down for a nap, etc. I couldn't believe how quick it was.

It was only that quick because I used the parchment paper. I didn't have to wait for the cookie sheets to cool down in order to scoop out the next batch of cookies to go into the oven. I scooped them right out onto the parchment paper while the sheets were in the oven. When the sheets came out, on went the next batch and into the oven. It was awesome! Then when all was said and done, I slid the last batch off the sheets and poof! NO DIRTY COOKIE SHEETS TO CLEAN UP! Wad up the paper and throw it away. Can't get that much easier for clean up.

I think I will definitely be baking more, especially since I have discovered parchment paper, a discovery I wish someone would have told me about long ago.

Next Stop....The North Pole!

Adam and I took the kids up to Williams, AZ to ride the Grand Canyon Railway decorated like the Polar Express. We went with our friends/neighbords (I got my priorities right this time). It was sooooo much fun! The "elves" passed out hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. The train conductor came through and talked to all the kids. We sang Christmas carols, the story Polar Express was read to all of us, and then the train made a stop at the North Pole, where Santa came aboard. Santa handed out to each little girl and boy a sleigh bell. Owen wouldn't take his directly from Santa, but once he got the bell in his hand, he didn't let go.

We got back to the hotel room around 10:45. Adam and I were wiped out from the day. Owen, it was a different story. He did not fall asleep until somewhere between 12 midnight and 12:15. Caroline was having no part of sleeping either until 1 am! She woke up at 7:30 when she heard Adam and I stirring around getting ready for the day. Owen was still sawing logs in the bed. We finally woke him up at 8:30, got him dressed and then we all went to breakfast at one of our favorite places for breakfast........CRACKER BARREL!

The kids did AWESOME in the car on the ride up! They did okay in the car on the ride down. I guess we couldn't have it both ways now could we?!

There's only one drawback to this weekend. It has put me in the Christmas mood extra early this year (which isn't hard to do since I am a Christmas-aholic). Now, I've got to wait through Thanksgiving in order to be able to put up lights, decorations, etc. How will I ever survive?

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My Sweet Girl

Every Monday the ladies in our ward get together at one of the various parks in the 3 subdivisions that make up our ward boundaries. I like to take Owen, and just within the last 6 weeks to 2 months, he is starting to be brave enough to venture from my side and go play by himself. I'm usually attending to Caroline and/or yapping away to the rest of the moms that are there. One particular trip to the park, my friend, Stacy, had her camera with her at the park. (Her husband has his own photography website) She took a couple of pictures of Caroline while I was sitting there. I give credit where credit is due - below is what she took and then sent on to me. She did a great job! Thanks Stacy!!!!!!!!

A "Target" Moment

I was at Taret this morning (no big surprise there, right?) gathering up a few things. I had Owen sitting in the basket, Caroline in her car seat on top of the basket, and all of my "treasures" surrounding each kid. Owen kept fussing and whining every time one item or another would touch him. He was trying to open my Diet Coke Plus fridge pack and I, of course, was trying to keep his little fingers out of it. He relented and finally figured out that Mom was going to win this battle (I put it underneath the cart!). About 2 minutes later and elderly lady saw me with the kids. This lady turned to me and said "You look like a very busy, but very happy mom. You're kids look happy too!"

Now, this lady was not witness to the umpteen times I was trying to keep Owen from standing up in the cart, throwing things out of the cart, or fussing and whining because something was touching him. However, at that particular moment when she paid me one of the best compliments ever, I couldn't help but to think that I am one very, very lucky woman. I have 2 healthy and happy kids with a wonderful husband. I have the privilege and opportunity to be able to stay home and raise these kids and to teach them what really matters. There aren't many women in the world who have this opportunity or would choose to stay home and raise their children, but I would bet that if they all got the compliment that I got today, they would stay home too.

I am one blessed and lucky woman.

Happy Halloween!

Last Friday, was our ward's "trunk-or-treat" and it was a lot of fun. Owen's costume kept him nice and warm and he looked so cute in it, to boot. Adam took Owen & Caroline around to each of the trunks to get candy, while I stayed back at our car to pass out the candy. When I ran out, I caught up to them and enjoyed the rest of the night taking Owen & Caroline around the parking lot.

Monday night Adam helped Owen carve the pumpkin into a Jack 'O Lantern. Owen really liked using the knife to carve the pumpkin. He helped scoop out the seeds, and pull the pieces out to make the face. But, I think what was his most favortie was throwing the pumpkin seeds on the floor and watching Baxter eat them. Bax liked that part the best too.

Last night was a lot of fun too. Again, Adam took Owen and Caroline and I stayed back to pass out the candy. Adam and Owen met up with our neighbors and their kids. Pretty soon, Owen was walking up to the houses with the older boys (ages 5 and 3) by himself, without Adam. Granted, Owen would not say "trick or treat", he would merely hold up his bucket and wait for the candy to be dropped in. I was surprised that he would go up by himself. Strange house, strange people, but I guess the lure of candy made it all worth it.

I didn't get many pictures of last night, but I did snap quite a few at the trunk or treat. I also didn't get a chance to post a blog about each of these fun times, so I'm throwing it all into one blog and one slideshow. Enjoy!

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Aaahhhh, Jacob!

I have read the Twilight series of books. I detested, loathed, and hated book number 1. I LOVED book number 2 and number 3 was good too. I don't like Edward (he's too controlling) and think Bella is making a mistake in choosing him instead of Jacob. Now, I know for sure why:



You're Jacob Black - You were raised to believe that family and community is the most important thing in life. You are also a fun-loving person who sometimes can see life a little too amusing and have trouble taking things seriously. Over all, you're a loyal and excellent friend to have.
Take this quiz

I guess I mostly identify with Jacob, which is why I like him so much. Maybe I'm feeling some sort of rejection from Bella that she didn't choose Jacob. Take the quiz and see who you turn out to be!

Best of Show

Whoever said cats are afraid of water, never had an American Shorthair cat for a pet. First, they are the best breed of cat, ever, ever, ever! They are a very social cat and really like to be around people. I guess it has a lot to do with the breeder and how they are raised by the breeder, but I swear they are the best cat!

So, Lincoln likes to drink fresh water. Lincoln acts like drinking out of Baxter's bowl of water is so "beneath" him and is very put out by the whole thing. Much to Adam's chagrin, Lincoln is now trained that whenever I am in the bathroom washing my face or brushing my teeth, Lincoln will hop up on the sink counter. That is his cue to me to turn the faucet on so he can have a drink. Yes, my cat drinks out of the faucet for "fresh" water. The funny thing (okay to me it's funny) is he lets the water run off of his head and then drinks it. It's silly I know, but it sure is fun to watch. The only problem is, after he is finished drinking his water, and his head is soaking wet, he shakes the water everywhere....just cleaned mirror and just cleaned bathroom seem to be his favorite targets.

Drinking my "fresh" water.

Got my drink of water and now I'm good to go!

Constructin Zone - Part II

Last Monday came and went and there was no drywall activity. The guys had a huge job they needed to finish up, which pushed our job back. Ugggh! But, I am very, very pleased to say that Friday they arrived, ready to work. Thursday night, Adam moved the huge TV armoire by himself (he didn't come get me and ask for help - I would've been happy to help him) the cable and electrical wires. Everything was a go, just waiting for the guys to show up.

They arrived pretty much on time and got right to work. They didn't even mind me taking pictures of them working (they said it happens all the time). They were fun to talk to while they were working (they understood and spoke English, too!). The name of the company is The Drywall Guy and they were fantastic! I would recommend them to anyone who has any remodel or repair work to be done. They were neat and clean in appearance and when they finished their job, they cleaned up after themselves too. They were great! We were so impressed with them, that the next job we have we will call them back (that project won't be for another 1-2 years though) and have them work in our house again.

Once they finished their job, the next day, Saturday, Adam finished painting and now it looks like the house was originally built the way it now looks. Adam and I both love it and are really glad we did it.

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Size Really Does Matter!

When Adam needed to move the electrical wires and the cable wires to have the drywall guys come in, he had to use some pretty heavy duty tools to do so, i.e., a reciprocating saw, cordless drill, and his hammer, in order to get the job done. (So the reciprocating saw - yes I know what one is - is the only "heavy duty" tool, but the others still count!)

Owen couldn't be left out of the picture and quickly ran to get his drill (it's really a playdoh drill donated unknowingly to Owen, thanks Seth!) so he could join in the action. Owen loves to be in the thick of things when Adam is working. Owen would use his drill and pretend that he was helping Adam. Every time Adam would get the cordless drill or reciprocating saw going, Owen would giggle with glee! He thought it was the coolest thing ever. Boys and their toys - the fascination with tools and toys really does start at a young age doesn't it?

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